The baselining of networks is known in the art. Indeed, HP currently markets and sells software known as HP Openview Network Node Manager (OvNNM) which can perhaps be regarded as the industry-standard network management toolset. This software, typically installed on one or more servers in a large, dynamically changing switched network, is designed to provide network management and troubleshooting facilities to a network manager or administrator. Primarily, the software provides a means of discovering a network, and in particular is capable of mapping the various devices which form part of the network and displaying the topology of such devices in an easily comprehensible, graphical manner. Information discovered during any particular discovery task is stored in a suitable repository, locally or remotely, and briefly will include some indication of the type of device, the configuration information stored in that device, and details of the connections that device makes with other devices on the network. Larger networks are in a constant state of flux as they shrink or grow depending on demand for IT resources. Network administrators for different sites require flexibility in their roles, and accordingly network devices may be installed or removed with little or no notification to the remainder of the network at large. Also, so-called network “outages” or periods of malfunction may occur from time to time as a result of other network events such as particularly or unusually high traffic, firmware upgrades, device replacement or simple failure of devices.
Other currently available topology baselining solutions may maintain configuration data relating to devices on the network, but tend to function at the device level as opposed to the network level. For instance, with such solutions, if configuration data is collected from two interdependent or interlinked network devices at two different times, it may not be possible to achieve complete restoration of the network infrastructure based on the stored configuration data for these devices.